biggest rooms you’re likely to find in this space-pressed capital, plus a lounge hosting Japanese gagaku music, finished with a top-floor onsen (public baths). Chief executive Yoshiharu Hoshino has high hopes, keen to roll the concept out in the likes of San Francisco, Paris or London. “Japanese culture is much more widely accepted across the US and Europe now,” he says. “So why not Japanese- style hotels and hospitality? We would definitely like to export this to other countries. We want to recreate the atmosphere of a ryokan in the middle of a city.” The concept works well: each of its 14 guest floors comprises six rooms surrounding an ochanoma (tea lounge), staffed by impeccably attentive employees, and stocked with tea and juice or noodles and ice lollies to quell late-night cravings. The real joy, though, lies in
the exquisite Japanese touches at every turn, from the calming entrance – shoes off, please – and tatami mat-covered floors to breakfasts that are more a work of art than a meal. Served in-room and with American or Japanese
options, this array of small dishes arrives in an okamochi (stacked- up bento box), unveiled with a flourish to reveal elegant plates of omelette and bacon, or sashimi and salmon.
Little did I know this was just a
taster of what the kitchen could provide: its basement restaurant offers even more innovative cuisine come dinner, putting a creative spin on Japanese flavours. Rates start at £575 including tax and service charge.
w GOING LOCAL Hoshinoya Tokyo is at the heart of financial district Otemachi, near Tokyo station, so it’s a good base for getting around. The Imperial Palace is barely five minutes away, but aside from jogging or cycling around the moat, visitors will get much more out of Tokyo if they skip the obvious sights and immerse themselves in local life. “We have seen a lot more
interest in lesser-known districts such as Daikanyama and Aoyama,” says Tyler Palma, ground manager for InsideJapan Tours and my expert guide for the afternoon. “People are looking
Escaping the city
If Tokyo gets too much, follow the locals’ lead and head for summer retreat Karuizawa, an hour away by bullet train. With its 1,000-metre altitude comes cool air and lush vegetation, alongside flying squirrels (book a tour to see these nocturnal creatures around dusk) and Hoshinoya Karuizawa, the brand’s flagship resort. Boasting spacious rooms and a
strong focus on onsen – there are two baths, one public and one for guests, though in true Japanese fashion, both require bathers to go nude – it’s a pleasant spot to relax. Be sure to book dinner in Kasuke, where the tasting menu showcases the absolute best of Japanese cuisine. Rates from £510 per night with tax and service charge.
hoshinoyakaruizawa.com/en
for something different from their travel experience, and rather than seeing the usual sights, they’re more interested in getting a sense of the city. We’ve introduced excursions with a Japanese wine sommelier, visits to video-game arcades, art and architecture tours or trips around the best izakayas in Tokyo – it’s just a different way to think about the city.” We headed straight for
yurakucho sanchoku inshokugai, a twisting alleyway under the railway tracks, crowded with tiny restaurants serving pork, chicken or even horse meat. It’s the sort of place you’d never stumble across without a guide, proving even visitors who usually avoid tours would benefit from some direction here. After a quick stop at ramen
restaurant Hashigo – another local find, with no English sign or menus but the best bowl of noodles I’ve ever twirled around a set of chopsticks – I was in for a taste of Japan’s quirkier side at the food hall of department store Mitsukoshi. Why, with all the delights
of Tokyo, spend precious time food-shopping, you might ask? This is no average supermarket:
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High-end matsusaka beef is so sought after that it comes with the cow’s nose print to prove it’s for real
its fancy food hall features watermelons grown in the shape of pyramids and cubes (as long as you don’t mind dropping £150 on strangely-shaped fruit, that is); and the highest of high-end matsusaka beef, so sought after that producers must supply a certificate attesting to three generations of the cow’s parentage and – weirdest of all – it comes with the cow’s nose print to prove it’s for real. It just shows shopping isn’t a
mere practicality here – top-end fashion houses like Hermes hold art exhibitions in their stores, and you can have a go on the latest gadgets in the huge Sony store. And if all that leaves visitors in need of some sustenance, enjoy the funkier side of Tokyo’s food and drink scene. Commune
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